The gravitational-wave (GW) group of the University of Louvain (UCLouvain, Belgium), hosted at the Centre for Cosmology, Particle Physics and Phenomenology (CP3) of the Research Institute in Mathematics and Physics (IRMP) and the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics (ICTEAM), welcome applications for a four-year PhD student position on data analysis of GW detectors, with a focus on geometry-inspired techniques for GW signal representation.
The selected candidate will design novel GW data analysis algorithms aiming at capturing challenging GW sources, including the stochastic GW background, guided by recent advances in Riemannian geometry for data analysis and in machine learning. Alongside the design of the novel data analysis techniques, the selected candidate will also explore their mathematical foundations in order to assess theoretically their performance. Prior exposure to related fields such as machine learning and Riemannian geometry will therefore be considered as key assets for this project. Although no prior knowledge of GW physics is required, the candidate must be interested in this field and will be expected to learn key elements of GW physics theory during his or her PhD.
The selected candidate will work under the supervision of Estelle Massart, an expert in Riemannian geometry and machine learning, and Giacomo Bruno, a gravitational wave physicist. Their research will be conducted jointly in the mathematical engineering department of the ICTEAM institute, and in the UCLouvain GW group of the CP3 center. This will provide the selected candidate with a highly international, diverse, and stimulating environment. The mathematical engineering department gathers about 50 researchers working on various topics in applied mathematics, including optimization, control and system theory, and mathematical foundations of data sciences. The CP3 center hosts research in physics of the Universe and fundamental interactions on the experimental and theoretical fronts.
Constant and careful supervision of the candidate is also guaranteed thanks to the presence in the groups of several postdoctoral researchers. Computing resources and support for traveling are excellent. The PhD research work will also be conducted in close contact and cooperation with the rest of the Belgian GW community and international partners. The UCLouvain GW group is part of the Virgo Collaboration at the European Gravitational Observatory (EGO) and has been active so far in searches for ultra-light dark matter, anisotropic stochastic GW background, gravitational wave lensing and on a multi-messenger project aiming to detect neutrinos and gravitational waves originating from common astrophysical sources. All the data analysis studies are performed in collaboration with theory specialists and use the IRMP computing center that also serves CERN experiments (CMS and NA62), IceCube, KM3NeT, muography, and projects in theoretical particle physics and cosmology. The UCLouvain GW group is also involved in instrumentation projects for both Virgo and the future Einstein Telescope, notably at the two research and development facilities, E-TEST and ETPF.
The UCLouvain campus is located some 25 km south of Brussels, to which it is conveniently connected by public transport, thus allowing life either in the EU capital or in the pleasant green countryside surrounding the campus. UCLouvain offers several advantages to its personnel, including reimbursement of public transport season tickets between home and workplace and free language courses. More information about life in Belgium and at UCLouvain is available here.
Applications must include a curriculum vitae, a personal motivation letter, the academic transcript of university studies, and the names and contact information of at least two reference senior scientists. Applications must be submitted online, by the 23rd of May 2025 at: https://cp3.irmp.ucl.ac.be/job/112. Applicants should hold, by the time of the start of the appointment, a Master Degree in applied mathematics/physics or equivalent with a remarkable academic record and they should demonstrate a strong interest and motivation in fundamental physics research. The position will remain open after the first deadline indicated above until a suitable candidate is found.
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